Delivery Diaries: Size does matter, in both life and food deliveries

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As a management consultant in the early part of my career, I would travel for work very frequently. In this living out of suitcase phase, one would often yearn for home-cooked meals, especially tawa chapatis/rotis (phulkas in north Indian parlance). Most restaurant menus would feature tandoori rotis and assorted nans.  I would often protest with the restaurant and room service staff. Finally, one day, an avuncular senior chef sat me down and explained that several tandoori rotis can be made in one go i.e. you warm the tandoor and put several together whereas tawa rotis needed to be individually baked.

F&B business wisdom apart, it made me realise how my mother, and mothers in households across India, go through the stress of making tawa rotis/paranthas every day for their family- on an average three times-- often in sweltering heat and humidity- just to ensure that family eats hot and fresh meals.

Some days ago, I was looking at the statistics of our bulk and large order services i.e. where the order value is more than Rs1,000 or the order comprises five items or more.

Sabzi ghar ki, roti bahar se

Chapattis/Tandoori Rotis/Paranthas/Naans and a range of other Indian breads are the most frequently ordered items in this category.  Our consumer behaviour insights reveal that “sabzi ghar ki and roti bahar se” (cook the vegetable/dal at home, and order rotis) is an increasing trend. This is particularly true, during parties and family gatherings, when your nephews/cousins/friends may insist on having “aapke haath ka khana”. Now imagine the ordeal of making rotis for a ravenous gathering of 10 or more guests! So the emotional entreaty can be best met by preparing sabzi and dal at home and ordering rotis from a food delivery service.

Other than chapatis, offerings from Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are popular components of large orders.

Impact of Quick Service Restaurants

About two decades ago, when McDonalds started offering Aloo Tikki Burger- it was significant in more than one way. Of course, the ‘Indianisation’ of the menu highlighted the effort that this global firm was making to endear itself to the discerning Indian consumer. However, equally remarkable was the price point of Rs 20 (back then). This price point meant, that possibly for the first time, middle and lower-middle-class families in India, could take their children and family out for a meal outing, in a happy, colourful and hygienic setting- at very reasonable prices. Several similar endearing stories spawned- KFC introduced an ice cream cone for less than Rs10, and an average Indian could now afford to eat a reasonably priced meal/snack, which wasn’t a street food.

In food delivery, we are possibly witnessing an extension of the same phenomenon. Children’s get-togethers are organised in the building's society club, birthday parties are organised at home- where aloo tikki burgers, Pizza Mcpuff or even choco lava cake are ordered and relished in large numbers. The food snobs may sneer at the QSRs but have a look at any of these food courts, and one can witness the incredible popularity these outlets enjoy.

Early trends in bulk orders

The timing and the location of orders offer interesting perspectives. Majority of bulk and large orders are post 6 pm, which reinforces that unlike in the West, dinner is the main meal for Indian families. A surprising aspect is that an overwhelming majority (85 per cent) of bulk orders and orders served by the XL fleet come not from offices or tech parks but from residences. Almost 50 per cent of these orders are on non-working days, i.e. on Saturdays and Sundays.

There may be many factors behind it, proximity of popular food courts near offices may be one, but also the fact, that unlike in the United States, Indians still haven’t warmed up to the idea of a working meal.

In his autobiography, Made In Japan, Sony’s Founder Akio Morita expressed his consternation on differences in American and Japanese working cultures. One aspect particularly distasteful to Morita was mixing food with work. I think the Indian mindset is similar.

We are taught to respect food as an offering from Ma Annapurna. Indian food gatherings, feasts or Dastarkhans are always about frolic and celebrations.  So, while we may occasionally look at our phone screens while eating, the idea of discussing business transactions while dunking our nans in dal makhani may be rather unpalatable for us. I think we have been programmed to offer attention to food. The discussions usually take place over chai and coffee